


Just a Bad Day

by Terinka



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff and Humor, M/M, POV changing, Post-Canon, Smut, Surprises, Switching, some other characters mentioned - Freeform, travelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 05:05:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13228665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terinka/pseuds/Terinka
Summary: Some days, Haruka mused, just shouldn't exist.All his plans failing, bad things happening, this could be the worst day ever. Or so Haru thinks. It takes one crazy redhead to prove him wrong.





	Just a Bad Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Yohao88](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yohao88/gifts).



> This is a gift to wonderful Yohao88! The prompts were all awesome, but I instantly fell in love with Rin visiting Japan and not telling anyone, teehee.  
> I love your art and writing, hopefully you'll enjoy this at least a little bit! 
> 
> Huge thanks to blondyfel for being my beta!   
> It's my first time writing something and posting it actually, so I'd like to thank the organizators of this exchange for the opportunity to contribute to this fandom. I've been a part of it for more than three years, yet I couldn't make myself join. I had a lot of fun and it was great to participate in this exchange!   
> Happy new HRH year to everyone!

\--- Tokyo, present ---

 

_ Some days, _ Haruka mused, _ just shouldn't exist. _

 

He was standing in front of his flat in Tokyo, bags heavy from shopping slowly making his fingers numb, sweat running down his back under his winter jacket, water from the little snow outside pooling beneath his shoes, but he didn't feel any of these. What got Haru's full attention was the narrow, almost invisible line of light between the door and its frame. _ I was in a hurry this morning, but I'm sure I closed and locked the door properly. Someone has broken into my apartment. They might have stolen  something. Not that I have any valuables there, but it's my place. My sacred place. _

 

Haru shivered from the idea of a stranger rummaging through his stuff, touching everything in his otherwise pristine clean flat, pulling clothes out of the wardrobe, making his kitchen messy...He shook his head to start thinking rationally again. _ Maybe it was Makoto, visiting and forgetting to close the door properly. No, that doesn't make any sense, Makoto is always so, so careful about this kind of things – him being a scaredy-cat also makes him very responsible. _ Haru stopped his inner monologue and sighed. It just had to happen today.

  
  
This day was truly very different from what Haru had originally planned. He wanted today to be special.  _ Which came true, but in a slightly disappointing way, _ Haru added in his head, and even to him his inner voice sounded sour. This was only the last straw. The whole day was just a large catastrophe. 

 

\--- Tokyo, earlier that day ---

 

Haru wasn't usually a morning person, but months of waking up early, trying to squeeze in both morning run and a proper soak, made him get used to it. It didn't help much when he looked at his phone that morning and the bold letters told him he overslept. Even though he managed to get to his lessons in time, he had to skip the run ( _ oh well _ ) and his routine bath ( _ much bigger loss) _ . 

 

After making it through the lessons somehow (Haru wasn't even sure what was the point of half of his lessons today, their regular teacher didn't show up and he spent two seminars just doodling in his notebook or staring out of the window, almost dead sure that at one point he spotted Rin standing outside and looking at the university, but  Haru decided that was just his imagination playing tricks on him), it was finally time for his training. 

  
  
He packed all his belongings into his backpack, grabbed the duffel bag with a towel, sports water bottle and a nutritious flapjack bar ( _ still haven't found one with mackerel flavour, _ Haru thought mournfully every time he was packing one of those into his bag) inside and ran all the way to the university arena, craving to feel the water on his skin as soon as possible. He didn't spend any time in the lockers, throwing his stuff in the first empty locker and jumping out of his clothes, his favourite pair of jammers already on (and if they had a thin line of red around the usual purple lines, it would be merely a coincidence, Haru would swear) and got to the pool area – only to find it empty. 

 

He was staring at the tiled walls and bottom of the pool, glistening with what was left of the water – merely drops. 

  
  
"It's the sanitary week, so we're doing dry for a couple of days, Nanase. Have you forgotten? Where are your workout clothes?" 

 

Hearing his coach's voice, Haru slowly tore his eyes from the empty pool, battling the scowl that was forming on his lips, only to admit that yes, unfortunately, he had forgotten about the change in their routine, Thursdays were always spent in the pool, and no, also unfortunately, he didn’t have any workout clothes to change into. When the coach scolded him for not paying attention again, Haru didn't even try to protest – he just hung his head down and walked back to the lockers to dress again, and he left the arena, water cravings unfulfilled. 

  
  
Once an image of his own bathtub (a huge one, that's why choosing the apartment in Tokyo took him three long months, almost not making it in time for the beginning of the semester, something Rin was teasing him about mercilessly almost every time they skyped) full of welcoming water, followed by a smoking bowl of miso soup next to a plate full of mackerel and rice formed in his head, his steps got a bit of their usual certainty back. 

 

He chose the largest fish market that was also conveniently close (Suspiciously close, Rin's voice echoed in Haru's mind, and he could almost see Rin lifting an eyebrow and giving Haru the 'I know what you've done, you mackerel freak' look) to his place. 

  
  
“I'm very sorry, but we're already out of mackerel. The next batch should be there sometime in the early morning, when the boats return from the sea.” 

 

Haru blinked once, twice, unsure of the actual meaning of the words he had just heard.  _ This is The Biggest Market, _ he almost wanted to scream out loud,  _ how can you run out of mackerel?? _ In the end he just bowed a little, afraid of his own voice betraying him, and left the seller without any coherent response or goodbye.

  
  
He decided to stop at the supermarket, remembering they used to sell mackerel, too. “Not as good as the fresh one, but it'll do,” Haru mumbled quietly while walking through the streets, trying not to bump into anyone. The city was crowded, the traffic reaching the rush hour, and there were many people rushing somewhere around him. Since Haru wouldn't usually be out of the pool this early, he felt slightly out of place, and with all the bad luck he had experienced already, he did his best not to make any eye contact or run into someone. 

  
  
Suddenly Haru turned his head to the right so fast he almost snapped his neck – he could swear that he had just seen the too familiar mope of red hair in the crowd of black. Frantically he scanned his surroundings with his eyes, but with no luck.  _ It doesn't even make sense, Rin is in Sydney, I talked to him just yesterday. _ Haru sighed, this time aloud, and after earning a couple of questioning looks from the passers-by, he resumed his previous journey to track the fish and finally get home. 

  
  
Bags heavy with food and other things that he was running out of, Haru was walking rather slowly. He scolded himself for buying too much, not because of spending the money, but the usually okay distance from the shop to his place seemed endless, carrying so much in his hands. He felt like the plastic ears of the bags were cutting his fingers off, and no matter how ridiculous this thought was Haru couldn't get the sentence  _ you can't swim without your fingers _ from his head, playing on repeat like a mantra. When he saw a park nearby, featuring a small fountain with some benches around, he took the opportunity and sat down for a while.    
  


***

 

The place reminded him of the park in Sydney where Rin took him almost two years ago. Strange place, different people, another language – and in the middle of it, the familiar warmth of Rin's arms when he had hugged him at night, in the dark hotel room, hiding his (definitely blushing) face in Haru's nape, quietly whispering the words like a continuation of their previous discussion. 

 

If Haru's heart had started to beat faster after hearing such a confession as Rin's  _ Without you, I have nothing to aim for _ , he could have always blamed it on Rin being embarrassing, or on the fact they had had to share the bed (which secretly had made him so happy, having a chance to be a bit close, closer, as close to Rin as possible, but this was something Haru would never admit to a living soul). However, when he had heard the almost inaudible  _ I love you, Haru _ falling off Rin's lips, almost a ghost of the sentence rather than the usual bold, bright voice of the redhead, he had thought he might as well have died there, in the room no.25, and he would have died happily. 

 

He pretended to be asleep for a bit longer, not really sure what to do to not scare Rin off by admitting he had heard the confession, both of them actually, and then he just decided to take the leap. He turned around swiftly, not giving Rin time to process the fact that  _ yes, Haru was awake _ and  _ yes, he heard me, oh fu- _ and start panicking and looking for excuses and apologies neither of them wanted to hear. Their first kiss was short, a bit misplaced due to the darkness and more practical than romantic, used to shut Rin up, but Haru wouldn't have it any other way. 

 

***

 

A sudden impact of something hard and wet ended Haru's remembering abruptly. He touched the side of his head, almost like in a dream, and found a rest of a poorly-made snowball that had probably got lost on its original way. Behind him there were some children, using the bit of snow that was barely covering the grass, to destroy each other in a vicious snow war. While the sight of the children might have had his lips turning up slightly, the cold wetness dripping from his hair right under the jacket's collar made him almost yell at them.  _ And of course I had to forget my muffler today, out of all the days _ . 

 

He stood up, grabbed the hated bags again and started heading back home. He wasn't cold, but after spending some time sitting in the park, in winter, the idea of the bath was more and more pleasing.  _ What's more, if I fall sick and can't swim because I was being in idiot and recalling our first kiss while sitting on a bench in February, Rin will make fun of me forever. On the other hand, he would blush as hell and find it romantic, too, doing so on this very day. _

 

Haru rolled his eyes a bit, almost hearing the merciless teasing followed by the blood colouring the other's cheeks upon realizing the date, but then he felt a familiar ache in his chest. It was his boyfriend's birthday today and he was plodding through the streets, alone, and the day couldn't be worse. He missed him so much, and it had been some time (seven months, twenty-one days and some hours, not like Haru was counting, if anyone asked) since they saw each other. 

 

_And, to make it all even worse_ , Haru added bitterly, _today I wasn't even supposed to be here._ _I was supposed to have had my bag packed two days ago, flying to Sydney, surprising Rin for his birthday and spending my well-deserved week off with him, preferably not leaving the bed..or bathtub...or sofa..well, the apartment in general._

 

Haru's ears tinged with pink as he continued his way through Tokyo's streets, getting closer to his place. 

 

_ But then Coach Tamaki didn't give me the permission, despite promising I would continue with training even in Australia, and made me stay here...to close the pool for maintenance and have dry training instead. _

  
  
Haru had to stop his train of thoughts before he got angry for real. He was just having a bad day, that happened from time to time to anyone, and it surely had to end soon. After having some nice mackerel, spending some time bathing and then skyping with Rin, who would be done with his training by then, sounded like a very nice way to end the day. Haru's mood was a bit better as he was going upstairs to the third floor where his apartment was.   
  


\--- Tokyo, present ---

  
_ I must have offended an evil spirit...or even more deities at once, _ Haru thought, still standing in front of the door of the apartment ajar. Some time passed while he was remembering the unlucky events of the day, but there were no signs of an intruder of any form being inside. He was still unsure what to do. Calling the police sounded like a safe version, something Makoto would probably do, or at least advised him to do, but at this point Haru was done with today. 

 

He huffed, dropped the bags before they cut off the blood circuit in his fingers for good, silently opened the door and carefully entered the apartment, ready to deal with whatever was awaiting him inside.

 

\--- Sydney, three days ago ---

 

Slap! 

 

Rin slammed his left hand into the wall, splashing some water around, and didn't even need to check the time to know that he finished first.  _ Not as good as two weeks ago _ flashed through his mind, but the redhead just laughed and offered a high-five to his teammate in the adjacent line, who hit the wall a bit later. Just to be sure, he looked the scoreboard only to find out that yes, it wasn't his personal best, but it was still really, really good. Rin flashed his signature toothy grin towards the rest of the team at the side of the pool, and slowly made his way to the edge. 

  
  
“Why are you all waiting here?” Rin asked after getting his towel. 

 

It was technically the last race of the day, the sun finally losing some of its strength in the evening. The summer was hot and long, and everyone was happy to be in the water or sitting somewhere in the shadows, waiting for their turn. It was rare to see the whole ACS team standing around the pool, apparently waiting for something.  _ Or someone. _ Despite being friends, Rin suddenly felt chill down his spine.  _ Why is everyone waiting for me?  _

__  
  
The first person to spoke was his long-time friend, Ian. “Ah, you see, we're all waiting for you, mate.” 

  
  
This was getting weirder with every second. Rin raised his eyebrow instead of asking why, and Ian, smiling, continued without giving the poor redhead the slightest chance to interrupt him:

  
  
“A little bird told us that soon it'll be someone's birthday.” A couple of guys started coughing, saying 'Rin' inbetween. 

 

“And well, because we all love you and want just the best for our brand new fifty metre fly record holder -” A silent mumble of 'bastard' could be heard, in friendly, teasing tone that didn't hold any grudge towards him. Ian kept his poker face and kept explaining. “- and also because we all agreed that if we hear 'Haru would be faster slash better slash cuter' one more time, we’ll probably go insane and someone might drown, circumstances unknown -” 

 

Rin could feel his blood rushing into his head, his cheeks already burning. This was going to be hell. 

  
  
“ - to keep it short, we’ve decided to give you your present a couple of days earlier. Happy birthday, Rin.” 

 

Ian finished his short speech, supported by several voices wishing Rin the best (and, for some reason, some if the wishes were rather spicy, which left Rin wondering what his teammates were up to) and loud cheering from the crowd of young swimmers. He found himself staring at a light blue envelope with the words ‘Happy Birthday’ in silver, for now safely in Ian’s hands.

 

“Just so you know, Russell and Lori helped us a bit, too, so you better pay them a visit soon. They haven’t seen you in ages, as they told me,” coach Smith added, clasping Rin’s shoulder and squeezing it a bit. 

 

“Um..yeah, I will. I’m planning to take them out for a dinner for my birthday, since I’ll be staying in Sydney,” Rin said, but instead of a hum of approval that he had expected a few of his teammates just snorted. 

 

“Well, I guess you’ll need another date then,” Ian added mysteriously. “But you should really unwrap your present now.”

 

Being handed the envelope, Rin’s curiosity got the better of him and he ripped it open with no care for the content, grinning like an excited kid. Inside the envelope he found yet another one, this time thicker, oddly familiar, with the logo of Qantas on it.  _ Plane tickets..or a nice prank, _ Rin thought automatically. Tickets would be expensive, he knew that, but going that far for a prank? And what Ian said about the need to replan the dinner with Russell and Lori…

 

“C’mon, don’t you wanna know what’s inside?” 

 

Suddenly feeling anxious, Rin hoped that nobody had actually seen his fingers trembling slightly when putting them between the two folds of the paper, pulling out a return ticket to Tokyo. He blinked several times, not quite believing his own eyes yet, and looked back to the group of his teammates. 

 

“You guys..”

 

“What’s with that look? We’ve all seen how disappointed you were that Haru couldn’t come here for Xmas, and seeing he isn’t here now for your big day...Just pack your stuff and go.” 

 

Rin was staring at his usually strict coach as if he grew a second head. “I’m..I’m free to fly back home? But what about training? And fuck, it had to be crazy expensive? Are you guys nuts?”

 

“Is that a way how to thank your coaches for giving you a couple of free days and your friends for using their pocket money so you can get laid?” Dave’s question left Rin blushing madly and trying to stutter at least a bit coherent answer, he finally managed to show his gratefulness; the realization of  _ being with Haru soon  _ hitting him fully. 

 

“Thanks so much, you all...for this. It means a lot to me. And not just because, uh, I can get laid,” Rin eyed his laughing friends, trying to look scary but failing hard, making them laugh a bit more. He turned his eyes down, studying the tickets properly this time, and he noticed the date for the first time. “I’m leaving tomorrow?” he yelped.

 

“Yeah, so better go home, pack some things and rest properly, I bet you won’t sleep much in Japan...or sleep at all,” Ty, another teammate, teased and someone at the back wolf-whistled while the rest was just laughing. Rin really wanted to tell them off, but he found himself not having enough willpower to do so. According to his tickets, he had five days in Tokyo, and while visiting his friends and sightseeing sounded nice, spending all his time just with Haru, finally trading the long, unhelpful and impersonal Skype calls for his hands, his voice unmarred by the internet connection, his warmth..

 

“Hey, mate, are you still with us? Earth to Rin…” 

 

Someone’s hand waving in front of his eyes and the voice snapped Rin out of his reverie and made him aware he was still at the side of their club’s pool, sporting his legskins and a towel around his shoulders and  _ great, Matsuoka, get a grip, you don’t want to go back to the showers with a boner just because you were daydreaming about your boyfriend. _

 

“Yeah, I was just..planning. Sorry for spacing out. You guys are really great.” Rin could feel his voice almost breaking at the end of the sentence and decided it was time to leave the topic lest he want to cry in front of everyone. Smiling brightly, he offered his teammates a group hug. This was one of his best birthdays, he was sure of it. 

 

After taking a short, cold shower ( _ better safe than sorry, and it’s still hot outside,  _ Rin told himself) and saying bye to the coaches and the team, Rin was quickly heading back home. He was rather proud of his tiny apartment - it took him a couple of very frugal months and a lot of money saved from different competitions, but he had been finally able to afford something just for him. Russell and Lori had been almost heartbroken when they learnt that he wanted to move out, but they understood his need for privacy. 

 

Rin was almost there when he got an idea. He couldn’t deny that spending all the time in Tokyo with Haru only was a very tempting idea; however, to do so he would need to avoid running into the others. 

 

He stopped in his tracks, plan already slowly forming in his head, and he grinned. “Game on.”

 

\--- Tokyo, present ---

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have successfully landed in Tokyo, Narita airport. The outside temperature is 2°C, and it was snowing at night. The day should be cold but sunny. Thank you for flying with Qantas. We wish you a wonderful stay in Japan.” 

 

Rin yawned and stretched his arms above his head. He was still a bit tired, but he could feel excitement slowly bubbling inside him. He had spent the last day in Sydney visiting Lori, who had been sad because Russell had gone on a business trip and wouldn’t have been back for another day, so Rin had missed him, packing his backpack and thinking hard how to manage two extremely difficult tasks: surprise Haru the most and make sure nobody else learns that Rin is back in Japan. 

 

For the surprise part, there had already been a very specific image in Rin’s romantic mind. He would sneak into Haru’s apartment while the owner would be at school, and prepare some good food ( _ Preferably a delicious, rare beef steak, but that’s not gonna happen with Haru. Get ready for mackerel, _ Rin’s mind also provided.) in lieu of a birthday dinner. Add some candles, the fact Haru was living alone, and a perfect evening was born. 

 

There was just one small issue in this plan - the ‘sneaking into Haru’s place’ part.  _ That, _ Rin sighed,  _ requires actually having keys. And as far as I know, the only spare set is at Makoto’s place. And I’m pretty sure the moment I let him know I’m here, he would be so excited that the dork will spill the beans to everyone.  _ Rin liked Makoto a lot, they were  friends and he knew he could rely on him. Not to mention how grateful Rin was that Makoto was here for Haru in case something happened - one of the facts why sometimes Rin simply  _ hated _ being in Sydney. 

 

However, when it came to keeping secrets, Makoto was...hopeless. The big guy always managed to let whatever he was supposed to be quiet about slip to anyone willing to listen.  Rin had always assumed Makoto was just excited about the news, so he couldn’t stay silent, but that didn’t make things easier.

 

He could still recall the day Makoto caught him and Haru red-handed, both being impatient and horny, never making it pass the threshold, and not bothering to lock the entrance door. Even after almost two years the echo of embarrassment and the memory of searching for their clothes frantically to cover themselves up so their childhood friend hadn’t had to look at their naked asses made Rin scowl. 

 

Luckily, Makoto had been very understanding, and despite feeling uncomfortable, he had smiled and quickly congratulated them both, said something about destiny and promised to keep it a secret; Rin and Haru had wanted to tell the news to their friends properly. 

 

They had never gotten the chance. When Rin arrived back to Samezuka dorms later that evening, the first sentence he heard from Sousuke was a snarky comment on Rin’s physical state for next day’s training ( _ Which,  _ Rin thought,  _ is a much nicer formulation than the actual ‘I hope you’ll be able to swim properly tomorrow, now that Nanase had finally gotten your ass’. And, to begin with, when did Makoto even begin to be such good freinds with Sousuke?? _ ) Meeting the rest of the Iwatobi club the next day, Rin gave up all hope of keeping them a secret anymore the moment when he saw Nagisa running towards him with the most mischievous smile ever, yelling loudly something about a marriage and the wedding night. By the expression on Makoto’s face, there was no need for asking who the culprit was. 

 

Rin sighed and shook his head. He needed Makoto’s help, but he would also needed to leave it for the last moment possible, so Makoto wouldn’t have enough time to spill the beans to a certain someone. 

 

“This is insane,” Rin mumbled. 

 

***

 

The second day of February in Tokyo was truly cold, as they informed the passengers on the plane. Rin left the airport at the break of the dawn, having spent most of the night sleeping peacefully. The change of weather was drastical - from hot summer to icy winter, he couldn’t get warm enough. 

 

In Rin’s head a plan was already formed. He knew Haru’s and Makoto’s daily routines almost by heart, and thus he chose the moment when Haru would be at the training and Makoto would head to the children daycare where he helped to teach kids to swim every week after his classes as the perfect moment to show up. He would ask Makoto for the spare keys, meeting him at the university and walking him to the facility, not giving him enough time to tell Haru Rin was here.  _ Bulletproof,  _ Rin grinned and mentally patted his own shoulder,  _ you’ll make it work, Matsuoka.  _

 

Heading towards the university where both his friends were studying, Rin decided to stop in a café closeby and grab something for breakfast. The image of a nice cup of coffee and maybe a croissant formed in his mind, and despite the inner voice telling him he should eat something healthier, Rin decided to go fo it - he was on sort-of-a-holiday after all. He briefly checked his watch; being almost ten, Haru should’ve gotten to school almost twenty minutes ago; the café should be a safe ( _ and warm and cozy and coffee and food, fuck, I’m hungry,  _ his brain added) place. 

 

Since it was a workday, there weren’t many people inside. Rin quickly placed his order and chose a cozy-looking armchair close to the window. He sat down, finally taking off his jacket and beanie, and waited for the coffee. Once he got the steaming cup, he couldn’t wait any longer and thirstily took the first sip.  _ Heaven in a cup,  _ Rin smiled blissfully, warming his hands wrapped around the cup, sniffing the latte. Looking around, he was watching the people outside; the constant stream of figures unbroken.

 

The next sip almost killed him. He started coughing violently, sure that he inhaled at least a shot of coffee directly into his lungs. But, for the briefest of moments, he locked his eyes with  _ Haruka fucking Nanase,  _ who was running by the café.  _ Good job, me,  _ Rin slapped himself mentally, _ not even two hours into my plan and I’ve already been seen? What is Haru even doing here? He should’ve already gotten to his class, the lecture is starting in like..five minutes. Fuck, just how much bad luck will I have? _

 

Rin spent the next fifteen minutes glaring daggers at his phone, expecting the device to go wild with texts or calls from Haru, asking different versions of  _ care to explain your coffee-drinking, in-a-Japanese-café-sitting self? _ , but the message never came. It looked like by a stroke of luck, Haru hadn’t noticed him. Another fifteen minutes and Rin was ready to go find the closest shrine and thank the deities that his plan was, unbelievably, still on. 

 

Instead of doing so, he paid for the breakfast and after googling some recipes for untypical mackerel dishes (he had given up the idea of preparing some real meat) it was time to leave the café. Rin wrapped himself up in his shawl and pulled his beanie extra low to mask his hair. 

 

“Apparently, I’m pushing my luck here,” he sighed when he left the warm place and started walking briskly towards the university grounds. He had about half an hour before Makoto’s lesson would be over and he would have to catch his friend on his way to the daycare. 

 

“Wow, Rin-chan, what are you doing here?” 

 

Rin wanted to disappear, he wished the ground would just open and swallow him whole. His heart almost stopped.  _ Oh my days please no no no no don’t let it end like this I need my plan to work please ple-  _

 

“Hi, Hana-chan! My lecture finished earlier, so I came to pick you up!” 

 

Rin turned around carefully, hope growing inside his chest, only to see two girls leaving the campus plaza together, chatting cheerfully. For a moment he thought he was exposed, _fucking hell, again? What even is going on today?_ _This girlish name, I swear to god._ , but fortune smiled on him again. Breathing in and out evenly, trying to calm down, he spotted the person he was waiting for leaving the building. He took his beanie off, and grinned. 

 

“Yo, Makoto. How’s it going?” 

 

The brunet’s eyes went wide when he recognized the voice and the face of the person talking to him. 

 

“Rin? What..Why are you here? Is everything okay? Does Haru know? He didn’t tell me anything about you coming when we were chatting yesterday..”

 

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I just happened to have some free time and a return ticket to Tokyo, so I decided to come visit..I wanted it to be a surprise for Haru, so please don’t tell him?”  _ Worth the shot, hopefully you won’t have time to do so,  _ Rin added silently. 

 

“Sure! He will be so happy! Last two weeks he was in a really foul mood, his coach didn’t give him permission to leave for Sydney. Haru really wanted to see you…” Makoto started telling Rin the story behind Haru’s failed plan while walking to the daycare. 

 

***

 

“Anyway, Makoto, could you lend me Haru’s spare keys? I need to crash somewhere for the time here, and also taking a shower after the flight would be nice.”

 

“Ah, yeah, no problem, You know the address, I suppose?” Makoto was already taking two keys off his keyring, placed on a smaller ring together with a dolphin keychain. 

 

“Yeah, I’ll get by. Thanks a lot, Makoto,” Rin hid the keys safely in his jeans’ pocket.

 

“Sorry we can’t chat some more, I have practice to go to. See you around, let’s meet before you fly back to Sydney!” Makoto waved goodbye and entered the sports facility, leaving Rin alone again. 

 

_ Well, that went better than expected. Let’s grab the freaking fish and head home before my balls freeze here. How even is it this cold,  _ Rin wondered, starting the Maps app and searching for the shortest way to the market. 

 

***

“Mackerel, herbs, udon noodles, eggs, scallions…” Rin was reading through his shopping list, adding mental ticks next to the items he’d already gotten. “Looks like I’m done here. Time to go cooking.” Successfully packing everything into his backpack, he put his hand in the pocket that held the keys, and stroke the tiny plastic dolphin.  _ Just a bit longer now, Haru. _

 

Leaving the market, Rin’s full attention was on the map again. Not that he didn’t know where to go, he just wanted to get there  _ fast _ , preferably not getting lost and wandering around for longer than necessary. When he was sure he had memorized the right way, he pocketed the phone and started weaving his way through the crowd of people. He was used to the bustling streets of big cities, avoiding bumping into someone, and it wasn’t exactly unusual that sometimes people were staring at him ( _ damn the hair colour, and my ears are freakin’ freezing, I’ve forgotten to put the beanie back on after meeting Makoto) _ , but at one point he could practically feel a pair of eyes burning holes into his nape. 

 

Fearing the worst, Rin swiftly turned around and scanned his surroundings, but couldn’t find anyone familiar. He tsked and started walking even faster, wanting to be within the walls of Haru’s apartment as soon as possible. _I’ve already escaped being seen three times, I shouldn’t risk that much. I need this to work. I’m so close now._ _Turn left here, go straight ahead for the next two crossroads, then to the right…Block C, building no.9, third floor, apartment 7. Tadaima, Haru._

 

***

 

Haru’s place was overwhelming. Rin had seen the apartment before, Haru had given him a tour when they had been skyping each other, but seeing it through the cam didn’t prepare him for actually being inside. Once he placed the fresh ingredients in the fridge and shook off his jacket, Rin inspected the place quickly.

 

The whole place was very..Haru. There were some pictures of water animals on the walls, some of them being printed, but a large part were drawings - Rin was sure Haru was the author of those. On a tiny shelf in the corner of the living room, there was a small trophy and two photos in frames, showing two swim teams celebrating. The smile of the children matching the ones of the teenagers, with one pouting exception.  


 

_ Of course,  _ Rin smiled when he examined the pictures,  _ these are your - our precious moments. _

 

Assuming Haru would still be at the training, Rin decided to take a shower before he would start cooking dinner. Honestly, to Rin the idea of washing off the tiredness and stickiness after spending  more than twelve hours travelling by plane and then running around the city seemed to be the best idea ever. In the history of humanity.  _ Get a grip, Matsuoka, _ he scolded himself.  _ The best part of the evening is still to come. _

 

***

 

The bathroom was spacious due to the large tub, but it didn’t surprise Rin much. He had known Haru for eternity and knew exactly what kind of water freak his boyfriend was. What caught him in were two bottles of his favourite, cherry-blossom scented shampoo and shower gel on the shelf. 

 

“What are you doing, Haru, having these here?” Rin sniffed the bottle, making sure it wasn’t just used as a container, and briefly entertained the idea of taking a bath instead of just showering. “Nah, given how much you love water, we’ll definitely spend some time in the bath. Shower will do.” 

 

Not waiting any longer, Rin turned on the faucet and while waiting for the hot water to start pouring, he took off his clothes. Standing in the bathroom in his boxers only, he fished on his phone from the jeans’ pocket and checked the time. Given Haru’s daily routine, Rin should have another hour and a half before the former would arrive home.  _ Enough to wash myself  and start cooking _ . Rin put on some music, left the phone at the top of his clothes, took off the boxers and stepped under the running water. 

 

Using the sakura shampoo that he had found in Haru’s bathroom made Rin’s day. He had run out of stock a couple of months ago, and the sweet scent filling the room put a smile on his face. It was truly like coming back home, something that made him comfortable and feeling welcome in this place. Rin considered using the shower gel, too, but then his eyes fell on a black bottle next to the pinkish ones. He picked it up and opened it, sniffing curiously.  _ Oh my god, it smells like Haru.  _ Closing his eyes, he sniffed it once more. 

 

Suddenly the whole atmosphere in the bathroom changed. Rin started to be aware of every single centimetre of the place.  _ This is where Haru brushes his teeth. Here he takes his long baths. He does his laundry in the corner over there. He uses this soap to wash his body. His powerful arms, his slender legs, his pecs, his abs… _

 

Rin wondered if he had touched the water tap somehow because the temperature of the water was rising. Or, maybe, it was just his feeling as his whole body was getting hotter. Thinking about Haru standing exactly where Rin was, his hands gliding across his naked, glistening body, inhaling the same scent - the imagination was attacking all Rin’s senses, making him shiver with excitement. He missed Haru so much, and actually being here... _ Fuck it, I’m not gonna last even a minute when I see Haru in person...might as well fix that. _

 

Giving in to the temptation and his own hormones, Rin leaned against the wall, letting the water run down his back, spreading the Haru-scented suds all over his body. He touched his dick, already half erect and slowly getting into its fullness, and gave it a firm tug. His other hand glided even a bit lower, massaging his balls gently. 

 

“Haru,” Rin moaned, sure that the neighbours couldn’t hear him over the water running and music playing, and sped up the rhythm of his fist. 

 

All the blood running into his groin, Rin was quickly getting closer. The soap provided a wonderful lube, allowing him to fuck into his own fist without almost no limits. His moans were getting longer and louder, the stimulation not enough. The months of frustration, adrenaline of the competitions, breaking the record recently, all the nights spent calling Haru and getting off on his voice, it all had brought Rin to the edge, but the final push was still missing. Rin was getting desperate.  _ I need more. I want to..I need to feel full.  _

 

Giving up standing, Rin dropped on his knees, changing the grip and the speed of the handjob. Fast, sharp moves turned into long, firm tugs, and his second hand left the tightening sack of balls.  _ The soap should be enough _ , Rin thought briefly before putting his arm behind his back, reaching between his asscheeks and touching the ring of muscles. He gasped sharply when he pushed two of his fingers inside in one go, not patient enough to give himself enough time to prepare. Ignoring the burn that was slowly turning into pleasure, Rin continued fingering himself. “Haru, more, gimme more…”

 

“And what exactly do you think you’re doing here, Rin?” Hearing his name, the man froze in his doing and turned his head slowly towards the door. 

 

\--- 5 minutes ago ---

 

Haru peeked into the apartment, his frustration growing.  _ This is my own place, so why do I feel like I’m imposing on someone? I’m so, so done with today. I just want  a nice dinner, a bath and then to talk to Rin. Whoever has been here, they better be already gone. I don’t give a shit anymore.  _ Not seeing anyone in the entrance hall, Haru went further inside, keeping as quiet as possible. 

 

_ A jacket. Shoes. A backpack. Holy mackerel, someone has been here! They probably still are! I’m sure I can hear the water running. Shall I call the police? Can I leave this place without being noticed? I need to stay quiet - _

 

Haru suddenly stopped in his tracks and so did his train of thoughts. He looked at the shoes again. And then at the jacket and the backpack, both thrown carelessly on the living room floor.  _ Wait. I know these.  _ There was a tiny shark keychain dangling on on of the zippers on the backpack, and suddenly everything clicked in. The mop of the red hair he had deemed an illusion. The surprising absence of any texts from Makoto, even though his friend usually sent him at least one or two random messages during his lunch break. The open but not damaged door of the apartment.  _ You owe me an apology for scaring me out, Makoto, but you’ll have to wait. The whole world will have to wait now. Rin’s here. _

 

Closing the door properly this time, Haru kicked off his shoes fast a scanned the kitchen and the living room briefly,confirming the one he was looking for wasn’t there. The sound of a shower running and some music playing was a dead giveaway anyway - Rin was in the bathroom.  _ Naked,  _ Haru’s brain added helpfully. The raven haired man didn’t waste any time, dropping his jacket and sweater on the ground, advancing to the room. He opened the door carefully, not wanting to jump scare the one inside - and he froze on a spot. 

 

Being in a long-distance relationship was weird. Haru was always a very private person, enjoying the moments when he could be alone, doing whatever he liked without having to take anyone into consideration. Rin was the one who changed it.  _ Rin is always the one to change everything.  _ After meeting Rin, Haru had sometimes caught himself missing the other’s constant chatting, his lame jokes, boasting off, his toothy grin. After losing Rin to Australia for the first time, Haru missed his presence, the sight of Rin in his life. 

 

After starting dating Rin, Haru finally admitted to himself that no matter how comfortable he was on his own, there was a constant dull pain in his chest - the absence of Rin. He missed his kisses, gentle, exploring touches of the first night, firm, bruising grip on his hips when they were both sinking deep into passion, his lazy grin and husky voice commanding him  _ Fuck me so I can’t swim tomorrow, Haru _ when Rin was lying naked on his bed, legs spread wide, penis hard and leaking already, and he was lewd and obscene and _perfect_ and Haru almost lost it completely that day. 

 

Not seeing each other in person was driving Haruka mad. So now when he entered his own bathroom, already being stressed out about the whole day, and he saw Rin, his wonderful, strong, beautiful Rin, kneeling on the floor, his back turned to Haru, one of his hands hidden, but the second one,  _ oh my god the second one  _ bent behind, long, slender fingers disappearing in Rin’s puckered hole, the redhead spreading himself wide, and Haru’s name falling off his lips. “Haru, more, gimme more…” 

 

Something inside Haruka snapped. 

 

Unzipping his pants, he pulled out his own dick, painfully erect by now.  _ When did this happen?  _ Haru made a step closer, lured by the sight in front of him, not caring about his socks getting wet.  _ I could come right here, right now.  _ He gripped his penis harder to make himself last longer. One more step closer. The water was almost soaking his t-shirt and trousers. 

 

“And what exactly do you think you’re doing here, Rin?”

 

Rin slowly looked around his shoulder. His pupils widened when he saw it: Haruka, standing  _ so close _ to him, after all this time, slowly getting drenched, his arousal exposed and somehow betraying his rather cold demeanor -  his expression cold and stern, his eyes gleaming with arousal, lust and anger.  _ Anger?  _

 

“Haru…” 

 

Rin wasn’t given the chance to say more. Hearing his own name broke Haru’s stillness like magic spell. In one fluid move he pulled off his t-shirt and in two long steps crossed the distance between him and Rin. Not saying a word, he kissed Rin passionately, pushing the redhead down in the process, their tongues mingling. His jeans were wet and uncomfortable, but Haru couldn’t make himself stop. 

 

“Wait, Haru! Let me breathe!” Rin managed to snap out of the kiss, still locked down below Haru. 

 

“Rin, I’ve had a really shitty day today. And you forgot to close the door. I could’ve been robbed. I’ve been anxious. And who do I find? A very naked, very exposed, very lewd intruder,” Haru deadpanned, and sucked hard at Rin’s neck, leaving a red hickey. “It’s technically your fault.” Not saying anything more, Haru positioned himself behind Rin, making sure briefly that he wouldn’t hurt the other. When his probing fingers found little to no resistance, he smirked and entered Rin in one long, sharp snap of his hips. 

 

Rin gasped, the stimulation suddenly so different from the fingers. Being already very close before, it took him all the sanity and willpower left not to come right there when Haru pushed deep inside him. The sound leaving his lips was a mix of Haru’s name, a sob and a moan. Rin changed the position of his hips slightly, allowing Haru to reach the sweet spot hidden inside.  _ Jackpot, Haru  _ flashed through Rin’s mind when he felt the wave of arousal rising in his guts after Haru started hitting his prostate with every push. 

 

_ This is a dream. I have fallen asleep in the classroom. I don’t wanna wake up. Please, please don’t make me wake up, Don’t go, Rin.  _ Haru gripped Rin’s hips below him firmly, the sound of wet skin slapping against another body loud in his ears.  _ This has to be real. Rin is here. He’s finally here.  _

 

“Rin, you’re so incredibly tight. Ahh...feels so good, Rin. Rin..” Even to himself, Haru’s voice sounded desperate, calling his lover repeatedly. 

 

“Haru, fuck, I won’t last much longer, I need a break..” 

 

Rin’s plead fell on a deaf ear, the only effect it had was Haru speeding up, snapping his hips mercilessly into Rin. Once, twice, thrice..Haru broke from the dream-like state only to see Rin shaking, coming hard under him, his cum mixing with water on the floor of the shower. The sight together with Rin spasming around his penis sent Haru over the edge; he spilled everything inside the velvet softness of his boyfriend. 

 

“Rin, you’re really here,” Haru marveled once he regained his breath, and kissed Rin’s shoulder blade. 

 

“What did you think, you dumbass?” Rin snorted, but caught Haru’s hand and linked their fingers together, both men riding out the last waves of their orgasms.

 

“Well..I thought I was just imagining things today,” Haru mumbled. 

 

“What? You’ve seen me? Oh man, I was being so careful!” Rin wailed. “Tell me, but I think we should finish the shower first, don’t you agree? And maybe you want to take off your trousers first...Jeez, you animal.”

 

“Says the one who was fingering himself in a shower with the apartment door open,” Haru retorted, but carefully slipped out of Rin and stood up, trying to dispose of the soaked trousers and not fall in the process. 

 

“Fuck, I didn’t notice..My hands were full, I just pushed the door a little and thought it closed, “ Rin admitted, recalling the moment he entered the place. “Ouch, my back is sore as hell. Haru, a bit of help here?” 

 

They managed to get Haru out of his clothes without breaking anything, which should be considered a miracle, in his opinion. Haru felt relaxed, the hot water helping with the tired muscles he felt after sex, and he honestly wanted to get out of the shower and eat. When he shut off the water and turned to face the other man, though, all his ideas of food disappeared. Rin was staring at him hungrily. Haru noticed he was hard again, and the sight of the long dick hanging between Rin’s muscular thighs heavily made his blood rush to his own member. 

 

“I’ve bought dinner,” Rin said casually, as if he wasn’t already getting closer to Haru, touching his abs absentmindedly and letting his hand slip downwards, “but I think I’ll eat something else first.” 

 

Licking his lips, Rin sank to his knees once more, and took Haru into his mouth. 

 

“Rin, careful, your t..teeth..” Haru inhaled, his voice breaking when he felt Rin’s tongue twirling around the head, paying attention to the sensitive spot that made him see the stars. He shut his eyes firmly and leaned on the wall. 

 

“Don’t worry, love, I won’t hurt you.” Rin stopped his ministrations only for the shortest moment to reassure his boyfriend. They had discussed this already, Haru being afraid of rin’s shark teeth at first, especially when receiving a blowjob, but Rin had sworn that he would be careful, and he was set on delivering the promise. 

 

Running his fingers through the red hair, Haru gasped a little, quiet moans spilling through his lips when Rin started sucking hard, the wet sounds echoing in the bathroom now when the water wasn’t running, his hands wandering and caressing every place they could reach. Haru snapped his eyes open when he felt Rin’s hands grabbing his buttcheeks, kneading them at frist and then pulling them apart a bit. 

 

“Haru…” Rin breathed out, nuzzling Haru’s throbbing dick, nibbling the inner sides of his thighs lightly. 

 

Haru simply took Rin’s hand and pulled him up. “Let’s go to the bedroom.”

 

***

 

“Are you sure? This position will put too much strain on you, you probably won’t be able to swim tomorrow,” Rin frowned when he saw Haru stubbornly lying on his back, spread across the bed. 

 

“Rin, I’m absolutely positive.”  _ It’s a dry land training till Monday, so I don’t really mind skipping, but I can’t say this to you right now.  _

 

“Okay then, but don’t blame me later,” Rin shrugged. He was kneeling between Haru’s legs, peppering his abs and thighs with kisses, setting the previous bathroom mood back. He was neglecting Haru’s hard dick, caressing his balls and the soft skin heading to his entrance. Drawing circles around, teasing Haru but not touching yet - Rin was slowly picking Haru apart. 

 

“Rin, I want you inside. I want to feel connected to you..again,” Haru whispered when he felt he couldn’t take it anymore. 

 

Rin just smiled, his fingers disappearing completely for a while only to return a moment later, coated in lube. 

 

“Impatient, aren’t we,” Rin teased and slipped one finger slowly into Haru. The man gasped, the feeling of something intruding strange at first as usual, but he was quickly getting used to, if he was honest with himself: “Yes, I am. I need you. Please, Rin. Don’t..don’t tease me anymore.” 

 

“Don’t worry, Haru, I won’t.”

 

Hearing Rin’s voice laced with arousal, Haru moaned. A second finger followed immediately, and after he got used to it, Rin started scissoring him open, shifting his body slightly. 

 

“Where are you…” Haru didn’t have enough time to finish his question when he felt something wet running over and  _ oh my god into, i..into my ass, Rin is eating me out _ over again, probing his hole and making Haru shiver. “A...ahhh.” 

 

“Looks like someone’s enjoying himself. You aren’t that loud usually, Haru. Oh god, I love hearing you. Moan for me, Haru.” Switching between licking him and praising, Rin continued to open Haru up more. Rin loved the fact they could switch like this, but since he was the one to bottom more often, he wanted to make this as enjoyable for Haru as possible. No matter how long they would need. 

 

“Rin, it’s okay, it’s enough..,” Haru was quickly coming close to his orgasm, desperately wanting to come with Rin buried deep inside his ass, not lying between his legs. 

 

“Look at me, Haru. Look what you’re doing to me. You’re incredible. I love you. I love you so, so much.” 

 

Haru followed Rin’s orders, opening his eyes, and the sight made his mouth dry. Rin repositioned them so now Haru had a small pillow under his hips, making his twitching entrance a bit higher and hips angled  _ the right way _ , and Rin was towering over him, his body still a bit wet, stray drops scattered over his torso. Haru slowly took in the sight, the chiseled abs and pecs, before looking all the way up. Rin's red eyes were glistening with both love and unadulterated lust. Something moving just in the corner of his eye caught Haru's attention, and when he looked down, his breath hitched. Rin he was holding his penis in his hand, now fully erect, and was coating himself with the lube he used on Haru before, strokes slow and precise and  _oh you fucking tease_. 

 

“Can you see how hard I am? I’m so hungry for you it hurts,” Rin closed his hand a bit more, the head of his dick darkening. 

 

“Please, Rin,” Haru moaned loudly, and it was the last coherent thing he said for a while. Rin didn’t wait anymore, lined himself up with Haru’s entrance and torturously slowly pushed inside. 

 

“Haru, I’m going to move now, okay?”

 

Incapable of making words, Haru nodded, but that was enough of a sign for Rin. He started pulling out, almost all the way, stopping only then the tip was still inside Haru, and repeating this a couple of time, earning a symphony of moans. Encouraged by the positive reactions, he picked up the speed, not matching Haru’s crazy tempo from before, but keeping the hits steady and strong. 

 

“Ri..ahh oo.. Rin, I’m..” Haru could feel the telltale spasm of an orgasm coming, and Rin didn’t need any more words. He caught Haru’s dick, the tip glistening with a drop of the precum already, and stroke it in rhythm with his moves. 

 

“Haru!” Rin shouted when he felt his lover reaching coming undone, the orgasm making Haru’s ass clench around his dick almost painfully. Haru moaned one more time, spilling all over Rin’s hand and his own body. Rin followed him just a moment later, buried deep in Haru. He kissed him deeply, savouring the almost perfectly synchronized moment, and sucked a hickey right under Haru’s ear, mirroring the one Haru made in the shower on his neck. 

 

“Since you’re not going training tomorrow..” 

 

Haru scowled a bit, but didn’t comment on Rin’s revenge. Instead of doing so, he shook his hips lightly, squeezed his hole to stop Rin’s softening dick from slipping out, and kissed him back. 

 

“Happy birthday, Rin.” 

 

*** 

 

After showering quickly one more time and changing into sweatpants, Rin prepared the dinner for both of them. While they were eating, Haru told him everything about the day, the whole story finally making sense. The lack of mackerel ( _ Rin, I don’t know how much you eat, but this is probably enough to feed a team, not just the two of us,  _ Haru made a remark upon seeing the amount Rin had bought, and smiled a little.), spotting a mop of red hair twice that day, the absence of Makoto’s texts. 

 

Hearing about his adventures, Rin was laughing until tiny tears formed and shone in the corners of his eyes, and the sight made Haru’s heart flutter, his body warmer than any hot bath would ever make. 

  
_ I love him so much, _ Haru realized. He smiled properly this time, not being able to hide his feelings, and responded to the words he couldn’t know Rin had said before. “Okaeri, Rin.” 

**Author's Note:**

> They both don't leave the apartment for the four next days, obviously. 
> 
> Feel free to leave kudos / comments if you liked it, I'm on Tumblr as headoverheelswithsharkgrin, and I love making new friends!


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